© Baker, J.L. (2009) Marine Species of Conservation Concern in South Australia Full citation Baker, J.L. (2009) Marine Species of Conservation Concern in South Australia: Volume 1 - Bony and Cartilaginous Fishes. Report for the South Australian Working Group for Marine Species of Conservation Concern. J. Baker (consultant); Science and Conservation Division, and Coast and Marine Conservation branches of S.A. Department for Environment and Heritage (DEH); Marine and Coastal Community Network of S.A. (MCCN), and Threatened Species Network (TSN). Web version published by Reef Watch, South Australia.

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Red Indianfish / Red Indian Fish

Family Name:	Pataecidae
Scientific Name:	Pataecus fronto Richardson, 1844
Recommended Status in S.A:	Data Deficient (in S.A.)
Rationale:  The species is included here because (i) to date, P. fronto has been very uncommonly recorded in South Australia, which is the eastern edge of the western part of its disjunct distribution; (ii) the species is benthic, sedentary / slow-moving, and strongly site-associated, and (like other prowfishes) probably exists at low densities per area; all of these characteristics can increase the vulnerability of populations to localised impacts; (iii) P. fronto is found inshore (~10m – 80m), usually in the vicinity of sponges, which it closely matches in appearance, and any processes that degrade such sponge habitat where Red Indianfish reside, may adversely affect populations;  (iv) there is very little known about the distribution within the South Australian part of the range, the abundance or rarity, biology (particularly growth, longevity, and reproduction), and population dynamics of this species. Given the lack of records in South Australia, and the lack of information about specific threats in the S.A. part of the range, the recommended status is Data Deficient. Future surveys are required to determine the distribution and abundance (or rarity) of this species in South Australia, and to determine whether any specific threats exist here, such as trawling of critical habitat.

Page Contents

Current Conservation Status

No listings known

Distribution

Southern Australia

P. fronto is a sub-tropical and temperate species with a broad geographic range in southern Australia (Hutchins and Swainston, 1986; Australian Museum, 2004a).
The species has a disjunct distribution, ranging in the east from southern Queensland to southern New South Wales (or eastern Victoria, according to Kuiter, 1993, 2000); and in the west from the central coast of W.A. through to S.A. (Hutchins and Swainston, 1986, 2001; Australian Museum, 2004a).

South Australia

South Australia is at the eastern edge of the western part of its range.
The species is very uncommonly recorded in S.A., possibly due to its low densities, cryptic appearance, and habitat association in areas that may be deeper than commonly dived depths.  Examples of locations in S.A. from where the species might have been recorded include the Great Australian Bight; Gulf St Vincent, and Kangaroo Island (Glover, 1979; May and Maxwell, 1986; CSIRO Marine Research data, cited in CSIRO, 2007; S.A. Museum records, cited in OZCAM database, 2007). A museum specimen collected in 1907 from Gulf St Vincent, and 3 specimens collected in 1909 from Kangaroo Island, might be Aetapcus maculatus (Warty Prowfish), and required further examination to confirm the identity as Pataecus fronto (R. Foster, S.A. Museum, pers. comm., 2006).

Habitat

P. fronto inhabits sponge beds in rocky reefs and estuaries (Hutchins and Swainston, 1986; Australian Museum, 2004a), and the species is well camouflaged in sponge habitats, where individual Red Indianfish resemble the sponges near which they reside.
Divers have also observed Red Indianfish on cracks in reef walls, and lying on bare rocky bottoms (Australian Museum, 2004a), and at the edge of patch reefs, near sand.
The reported depth range is about 10m - 80m (Australian Museum, 2004a). Divers in some parts of N.S.W. have observed the species in relatively shallow water (e.g. 8m - 10m).

Notes on the Biology

Growth

Red Indianfish grows to around 35cm (Hutchins and Swainston, 1986, Appendix 1; Gomon, in Gomon et al., 1994; Australian Museum, 2004a), but is usually seen at smaller sizes (e.g. 20cm – 25cm). One maximum size recorded is 0.851kg (Hutchins and Swainston, 1986, Appendix 1).

Diet

There is little published information on the diet. Divers in New South Wales have reported seeing the Red Indianfish feed on mysids.

Other Information

The Red Indianfish is known to periodically shed its skin, which rids the fish of encrusting biota, thus improving its camouflage (Australian Museum, 2004a).
The compressed body shape and resemblance of Red Indianfish to erect benthic biota, indicates that it is bentho-pelagic in habit (i.e. free swimming near the bottom) (Drabsch, 1996).

Fisheries Information

Commercial

The species is part of the bycatch in offshore trawl fisheries (Hutchins and Swainston, 1986, 2001), where it is reported to be taken more frequently than it is seen by divers in inshore areas (Gomon, in Gomon et al., 1994).
In New South Wales, the species is a minor part of the bycatch in the prawn trawl (shelf sector), in which a survey recorded 1% incidence across all trawls (N.S.W. Department of Primary Industries, 2004).
Red Indianfish is a retained bycatch species in the New South Wales lobster fishery. Observer studies in the fishery reported an annual catch of about 22 specimens, all of which were retained as by-product (New South Wales Fisheries, 2004c).

Recreational

The species is not known to be targeted by recreational fishers, but there are records of its capture, including the record-sized specimen (0.85kg), which was taken by taken by angling in N.S.W., in 1973 (New South Wales Fishing Clubs Association, 2004; Australian Anglers Association, 2005).
Red Indianfish is taken by some spear fishers, with the national record being from Victoria (e.g. Australian Underwater Federation Inc., 2003).

Vulnerable Characteristics of the Species and Threatening Processes

The species may be very uncommon in the South Australian part of the range.
The inshore distribution (~ 10m – 80m), benthic nature, and strong habitat association (with sponges) may make Red Indianfish populations susceptible to decline from habitat impacts in some areas. Such data are lacking in South Australia, due to lack of certainty about the distribution of the species within this State.
Red Indianfish, like other prow-fishes, are sedentary, slow-moving and live in low densities, which can make populations vulnerable to localised exploitation.
There is no knowledge of reproduction in this species. If dispersal is low, and recruitment of the next generation is localised, then that mode of reproduction may increase the vulnerability of populations to site-specific impacts.
The species is retained when caught in the rock lobster fishery in N.S.W. (New South Wales Fisheries, 2004c); however the potential impacts upon populations of this bycatch are not known. It is noted the Red Indianfish has not been reported as part of the bycatch in the rock lobster fishery in South Australia (see Prescott and Xiao, 2001; Brock et al., 2004).
The species is part of the bycatch in some trawl fisheries, which indicates that such trawls may be operating over sponge habitats (NB It is noted that a Carrick, 1997, recorded substantial quantities of sponges in the trawl bycatch, in some parts of Spencer Gulf during the 1990s. A report by Baker in 2004 summarised the various improvements made in that fishery during the late 1990s and early 2000s, to reduce the bycatch of benthic organisms). Trawling can degrade sponge beds (either directly, through removal of sponges, or indirectly, by increasing sedimentation, which can damage filter-feeding organisms such as sponges, and cumulative loads can increase their mortality over time). Damages sponge beds can take many years to recover, if at all. Therefore trawling can directly and indirectly damage the habitat of sponge-associated species, such as Red Indianfish, which may be a threatening process for some populations.

Research Requirements

There is very little information known about the biology (particularly growth, longevity, and reproduction), diet, and population dynamics of this species.
Monitoring of the bycatch from benthic trawl fisheries (and other benthic fisheries, such as rock lobster pots) is required over space and time.
SA Museum specimens collected from Gulf St Vincent and Kangaroo Island (see Distribution, above), should be examined to ascertain whether or not they are P. fronto.

Management Requirements

This species should be recorded when found in benthic fish and prawn trawls, and in rock lobster pots. Ongoing measures are required to reduce, as much as possible and practical, the bycatch of benthic fish species such as the Red Indianfish over all parts of the range.
A code of practice for divers may assist in reducing disturbance to individual Red Indianfish and localised populations.
The capture of this non-edible species by recreational anglers and spear-fishers should be prohibited.
Temperate Australian fish species of peculiar appearance are popular in a specialist international aquarium trade. Although there may be no aquarium fish fishery for this species at the present time, the possibility of Red Indianfish entering the trade (legally or illegally) in future should be monitored, and population impact assessment would need to be undertaken.

Other Information

The Red Indianfish is a popular subject for divers and marine photographers.
Various sites near Sydney where red Indianfish are resident are promoted for dive tourism.